Usability of Mobile Consumer Applications for Individuals Aging with Multiple Sclerosis

摘要

The majority of individuals diagnosed with multiple sclerosis (MS) experience a major decline in their abilities due to the progression of MS after five years post-diagnosis. Following this period, they need to learn how to cope with the functional limitations caused by the disease and how to age with MS. The World Health Organization (WHO) and the Consortium of Multiple Sclerosis Centres advise that individuals with MS take control of decisions affecting their wellness and life and self-manage their disease as often as possible. Mobile health technologies provide potential support for disease self-management. There are currently nine MS-specific mobile applications on the market to help individuals with MS manage their health and daily activities. However, none of these apps was tested with their target population. Moreover, many individuals with MS have numerous usability problems with current mobile touchscreen interfaces. Therefore, the existing apps need to be usable by individuals with MS, as well as people aging with this mobility-affecting chronic disease. This research contributed to the state-of-knowledge about the design of mobile interfaces for people aging with MS and tested current mobile interfaces with people with MS and older adults to provide recommendations for the design of mobile interfaces for people aging with MS to further inform the design of the mobile application for individuals aging with MS.